Lady&#39;s handbag fastening



April 3, 1956 E. LACOTTE 2,740,447

LADYS HANDBAG FASTENING Filed July 8, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 1

Invenzar Edmund Lacofie April 3, 1956 co 2,740,447

LADYS HANDBAG FASTENING Filed July 8, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet z Fig. 5 11% 12 1 13102722??? EdmUndL ace #6 B y W mgqmszfmwww LABYS HANDBAG FASTENENG Edmond Lacotte, Paris, France, assignor to Soeit a Responsabilit lhirnite dite: Paris-Creation, Paris, France Application July 8, 1953, Serial No. 365,776

4 Claims. (ill. 150-33) In most of ladies handbags such as they are presently known and used, the fastening is separate from the bail; even where the fastening is incorporate with the bail, one is compelled. to use both hands in opening or closing the bag; anyhow, the fastening will not work automatically in both phases of its operation.

My invention relates to an arrangement in which the fastening is incorporate with the bail and moreover the bag can be opened and closed with one single hand.

My fastening includes a flexible springsteel or gunmetal or preferably maillechort core which is concealed within the bail body; said flexible core, which may consist of one single strip or a plurality of wires, interconnects a pair of rocking members from which the bag depends and which are fitted each on a pivot pin rigid with one of the two elements which provide the mounting of the bag. Said rocking members are adapted with their lower sides to engage cam-faced catches rigid with the opposite element of the mounting. consequent to the exertion of a thrust upon the ends of the hail the rocl ing members are swung out of engagement with the catches and the bag can be opened by tilting each elenent of the mounting relative to the other.

In order to close the bag it is only necessary to press each element of the mounting against the other, whereby each catch is engaged with the related rocking member; the oblique face of the catch causes the rocking member to tilt against the resilient action of the bail, by which action the said member is snapped erect to locking position after it has moved past the catch, when the bag is closed again.

One embodiment of my invention will now be de scribed more specifically, reference being had to the appended drawing in which:

Figure l is an elevational view of the fastening and the mounting fitted therewith in the closed position of the bag.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view of the same in the open position of the fastening.

Figure 3 is an enlarged end view of the rocking latch.

Figure 4 is an enlarged side view of the same.

Figure 5 illustrates a detail.

The bag mounting includes a pair of arcuate elements 3, 2 hin ed to each other by means of pins 3. One of said elements carries a pair of lugs 4 through which project the pivot pins 5 for the rocking members 6. Said members, on the other hand, are hinged at their upper ends by means of pins 8 to a flexible strip 9 which provides the core of the bag bail.

Each rocking member is formed at its bottom with an extension ll adapted to cooperate with a catch 12 rigid with the element l of the mounting.

"file'fifi'fie stiip ba ribssume two positions, viz:

1. The position illustrated in Fig. 1 in which it is almost unstressed and the rocking members are swung to the outside as far as they are allowed to by the stops 13. The extensions 11 at the bottoms of the rocking members are in engagement with the catches 12, the elements 1 and 2 are close to each other and the bag is atent 2 closed. The latching effect is obtained owing to the rocking members being urged apart by the flexible strip 9 and thereby locked behind the catches 12.

2. The position illustrated in Fig. 2, in which the ends of the strip 9 are subjected to symmetrical forces as shown by the arrows F. This action can be exerted with one single hand. The upper ends of the rocking members 6 are then closest to each other owing to their having been tilted horizontal towards each other about their pivot pins 5, and the catches 12 are cleared so that the bag can open.

The provision of a bevel 17 on the catches 12, to which preferably corresponds a rounded or beveled portion 16 at the lower end 11 of the rocking members 6, makes it possible to close the bag just by forcing the two elements it, 2 of the mounting into engagement with each other. The flexible strip 9 will first yield in and thereafter recoil as soon as the catches 12 have cleared the rocking members 6. Each catch and the related rocking member cooperate with each other just as they do in a lock including a bevel-headed bolt.

In other words, my handbag fastening includes a pair of mounting elements 1, 2 hinged at their ends on pivot pins 3; the pair of supporting lugs 4 are secured to element 2 on either side of the same; a rocking member is hinged to each supporting lug 4 on a pin 5 projecting across the element 2 of the mounting and around which said member is adapted to rock between two end positions which are determined by the engagement of the stop stud 13 with the lug 4 above and below the pin 5 respectively. The companion element 1 of the mounting carries a pair of catches 12 located each opposite one of the rocking elements 6 on element 2. Each rocking element 6 is formed with a bottom extension 11 which is located opposite the related catch on the mounting element 1 in the closed position of the bag, i. e., when the said element 1 lies against the element 2 and the rocking member ti is in the position illustrated in Fig. l. Said extension ii. is clear of said catch 12 and of element 1 when the rocking member occupies its second position, that is, the one shown in Fig. 2, whereby the elements of the mounting can be swung away from each other and the bag opened. A bail with a flexible core 9 is attached at its looped ends to the pins 8 carried by the said rocking members 6 upon which it exerts symmetric resilient forces contrawise to the directions shown by the arrows F, that is, in the directions in which the rocking members are urged back to their first positions. It follows that upon symmetrical forces being exerted simultaneously upon the ends of the bail 9 in the directions shown by the arrows F, that is, against the resilient pull exerted by the flexible strip 9 will symmetrically and simultaneously rock said members ti from their first to their second positions, whereby the mountingelement 2 is enabled to swing relative to element It towards the open position of the handbag. The extension 11 of each rocking member 6 is formed opposite the related catch 12 on the companion element 1 of the mounting with a rounded portion 16. In its turn, the catch 12 is formed with a bevel 17 adapted to cooperate with the aforesaid rounded portion 16 of the extension 11 of the rocking member 6, as a result of which, as the elements 1 and 2 are nipped into engagement with each other, the said rocking member 6 is cammed from its first to its second position against the action of the resilient bail ll of the bag. This makes it possible to automatically lock the handbag closed just by pressing together the two elements El, 2 of the mounting.

The fastening according to my invention may be availed of to equip handbag mountings of any kind irrespective of their shapes, i. e., whether they be rectangular, or semi-circular, or arcuate, or pointed, and so on.

The bail core as well as the elements of the mounting may have any desired or suitable section.

Likewise, the metal rocking members may be left bald, or they may be ornamented, or jeweled, or lined with skin; they may be made of any desired noble or base metal.

Many modifications may also be made in the design of the latching members and the catches cooperating therewith as well as in the covering of the bail core without thereby departing from the scope of the invention.

What I claim:

1. A handbag fastening which includes a pair of mounting elements hinged to each other at their ends, a pair of symmetric rocking members pivoted to one of the said elements at equal distances from the middle of the same through transversal pins for swinging motion between two end positions and adapted, in a first position, to keep the companion mounting said one of said elements in engagement with the aforesaid element and, in a second position, to release said companion mounting element from the said one of said elements, a handle having a resilient bail hinged at the ends thereof to said rocking members and urging the same symmetrically towards the said first position, whereby, consequent to symmetric force being exerted upon the ends of the bail against the resilient action of the same, said rocking members are swung from their first to their second positions to unlock the one mounting element from the other and thus allow the two mounting elements to swing apart.

2. A handbag fastening which includes a pair of mounting elements hinged to each other at their ends, a pair of symmetric rocking members pivoted to one of the said elements at equal distances from the middle of the same through transversal pins for swinging motion between two and positions, an extension on each rocking member opposite the companion mounting element in the closed position of the bag with the said mounting elements engaging each other and the rocking members occupying their first position, said extension being clear of said companion mounting element in the second position of the rocking members, a handle having a resilient bail hinged at the ends of said rocking members and urging the same symmetrically towards said first position, whereby upon symmetric forces being exerted upon the ends of the bail against the resilient action of the same, said rocking members are swung from their first to their second positions to unlock the one mounting element from the other and thus allow the two mounting elements to swing apart.

3. A handbag fastening which includes a pair of mount ing elements hinged to each other at their ends, a pair of symmetric rocking members pivoted to one of the said elements at equal distances from the middle of the same through transversal pins for swinging motion between two end positions, an extension on each rocking member formed with a face located opposite the companion mounting element in the closed position of the bag with the said mounting elements engaging each other and the rocking members occupying their first position, said extension being clear of said companion mounting element in the second position of the rocking members, a .cam face on said extension opposite the first mentioned face, a handle having a resilient bail hinged to the ends of said rocking members and urging the same symmetrically to wards said first position, whereby, upon symmetric forces being exerted on the ends of the bail against the resilient action of the same, said rocking members are swung from their first to their second positions to unlock the one mounting element from the other and thus allow the two mounting elements to swing apart, a cam face on the second mounting element opposite the extension of each rocking member adapted to cooperate with the cam face on said extension and thereby to cause said rocking memher to tilt from its first to its second position against the resilient action of the bail as the two mounting elements are nipped together, whereby the handbag is closed automatically.

4-. A handbag fastening which includes a pair of mounting elements hinged to each other at their ends, a pair of lugs on the one mounting element in the pair at equal distances from the middle of the same, a rocking member pivoted on a transversal pin to each lug for swinging motion between two end positions, a pair of catches on the second mounting element opposite said rocking members, an extension on each rocking member which in the first position of the same, with each mounting element engaging the other, engages the back side of the catch while in the second position of the rocking member it clears said catch, a handle having a resilient bail hinged to the ends of said rocking members and urging the same symmetrically towards said first position, whereby upon symmetric forces being exerted on the ends of the bail against the resilient action of the same, said rocking members are swung from their first to their second positions to unlock the one mounting element from the other and thus allow the two mounting elements to swing apart, a cam face on the extension of each rocking member opposite the related catch on the second mounting element, a cam face on said catch adapted to cooperate with the cam face on the extension of the related rocking member and thereby to cause it to tilt from its first to its second position against the resilient action of the bail as the two mounting elements are nipped together, whereby the handbag is closed automatically.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 233,908 Appleton Nov. 2, 1880 l,039,489 Cohn et al. Sept. 24, 1912 1,049,279 Sims Dec. 31, 1912 

